2014 – 2015

MEN’S CRICKET

Officers: Captain Hugh Williamson

The Queen’s team started the season in style, convincingly beating Christ Church in the first week of term with a spectacular century from Sachin Dias and superb bowling from opening pacemen James Colenutt and Bertie O’Brien. While the team may not have been able to continue this success in many of its subsequent matches, the season was nevertheless characterised by hugely enjoyable evenings in the sun and spectacular individual performances with both bat and ball.

The performance of Queen’s with the bat this year has been something of a revelation. Gone are the early collapses and meagre totals of the previous season and in their place has come the rock solid opening partnership of veteran Colenutt and newcomer Dias, supplemented by impressive innings from Dan Geer, Fraser Allardice and Hugh Williamson. It was St John’s College cricket ground, on Woodstock Road, that stood witness to two of Queen’s finest and most engaging performances with the bat. In the first, against the touring Hetairoi Cricket Club, a joint Queen’s and St John’s side faced a substantial total of 250 runs. Despite a slightly hesitant start, Geer soon found form with the bat and began to build momentum which culminated in a century that left the Queen’s players cheering in the pavilion and the St John’s contingent feeling increasingly superfluous. In the second match it was the turn of Colenutt, a mere week from his final examinations, to put down his revision notes and step onto the square to chase a significant total posted by the St John’s 1st XI. As batsmen fell around him, he continued to score elegantly, driving the ball regularly to the cover boundary to score a century which, whilst failing to win Queen’s the match, was a well-deserved reward for his consistent and enthusiastic performances throughout the season.

In bowling too, Queen’s 1st XI showed moments of brilliance but was sadly dogged by inconsistency and poor turn-outs. The College boasted an impressive diversity of bowlers which far exceeded that of its opponents. There were fine spells of fast bowling from Colenutt and O’Brien, accurate medium pace from Williamson and Tom Perkins, devious off-spin from Allardice, Muhammad Ali and Andrew Silley, and leg-spin from Michael Pandya. Sadly, however, it was a rare day when all these men turned out simultaneously. As a result Queen’s suffered greatly from an inability to take wickets against strong opposition and its batting totals were often chased down in the final overs of matches.

Despite this lack of consistency, it is a testament to the enthusiasm of members of College of all cricketing abilities that a full side turned out for every game of the season, which guaranteed Queen’s its place in the first division for 2016. Many thanks should go to Martin Cross, the groundsman, who once again ensured a splendid year of Queen’s cricket through the maintenance of a beautiful wicket and the provision of excellent teas and drinks to ensure that cricket remained not only a great sport but also a great social occasion.